[Mistakes #1] Five Common Title Mistakes – and How to Fix Them

Posted: 06 Dec 2013 05:07 AM PST

This is the first post in a series of common blogging mistakes. If there's a topic you'd like us to cover in this series, drop a comment below or email ali@dailyblogtips.com

The handful of words that make up your post's title are the most important words in your whole post.

Without a good title, your post's chance of success is slim.

Your title appears everywhere: in RSS feeds, in email inboxes, on Twitter, and on other blogs that link to you. Often, your title will be all that a reader sees (or certainly all that they read!) before deciding whether or not your post is worth their attention.

If you're not sure whether you're getting it right, check out these five mistakes and see if any apply to you.

Mistake #1: Using Your Topic as a Title

Your blog post's topic isn't your title.

A topic might look like "decorating cupcakes" … but that doesn't make a very compelling title.

Instead, you need

Five Simple Ways to Make Your Cupcakes Stand Out
Eight Amazing Geeky Cupcakes (and How to Make Your Own)

Fix it: If you struggle to come up with titles, use this template to help.

Mistake #2: Being Too Clever

Some bloggers, desperate to attract attention, get overly clever with their titles. (This applies to email marketers too!)

Curiosity can bring in readers – but your wacky title is more likely to get a "huh?" before your potential reader turns to something else instead.

(Also, titles without keywords aren't going to help your SEO much.)

Fix it: Every title should clearly tell readers what they're going to get from the post. If you have a choice between a clear title and a clever title, go with the clear one.

Mistake #3: Writing a Too-Long Title

Sometimes, you'll need quite a long title in order to sell readers on your post. Too-long titles, though, are a problem because:

They can be confusing and difficult to read.
They won't display in full in search engines (most will display up to 71 characters)
They're hard for people to tweet in full.

Fix it: Keep titles to a maximum of 71 characters: that's around 11 – 12 words. Mark Rogers of Power Mapper has written a handy reference to how many characters different search engines display in titles.

Mistake #4: Not Thinking About Benefits

Your title needs to sell readers on the benefits of your post: why should they read on?

Imagine if you were reading a blog about online marketing and you came across these two titles:

My Recent Trip to Las Vegas
Five Email Marketing Lessons from a Casino

Which would you be more likely to click?

Fix it: Make sure your title focuses on what the reader will get out of your post.

Mistake #5: Over-Promising

Let's say you really want to get traffic, and you write the title:

All the Parenting Tips You'll EVER Need

Will that get clicks? Sure. But if your post really consists of five done-to-death tips, you'll probably disappoint a lot of readers (who may well never come back).

Fix it: Ask yourself, "If I read this title, what would I expect? Does my post match up to that?" If not, either change your title or improve the post!

So … over to you. What mistakes do you see being made with titles? What tips do you have?

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

Seven Motivational Quotes for Bloggers – Get Inspired Today

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 07:29 AM PST

Do you ever feel scared or unconfident?

Most bloggers do at times – and sadly, some give up within a few weeks (or even before they've launched their blog at all).

We all have moments when the road ahead looks very long and difficult, and at these times, a few words of wisdom can be just what we need to take the next step.

You might like to bookmark this post, or write out one or two of your favourite quotes and keep them near your computer.

(Hat-tip to Barry Demp (aka "The Quotable Coach") who inspired this!)

#1: "Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."

– Jack Canfield

"What if no-one reads my blog at all? What if I never make any money? Perhaps it's not worth starting…" Have you ever thought something like that?

Every single "A-list" blogger you know has failed in the past. Some might have started several blogs before they got anywhere. And yet they wouldn't have every succeeded without these failures.

#2: “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”

– Aristotle

Criticism can be genuinely hurtful, but don't let the fear of criticism stop you blogging. One negative comment isn't going to ruin your blog (and you'll probably be surprised at how positive most comments are).

If family and friends don't "get" your blogging, look for a network of supportive, like-minded friends online.

#3: “The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs … one step at a time.”

– Joe Girard

It's very tempting to think there's a "quick fix" solution, particularly in the fast-moving blogging world. Unscrupulous marketers who promise overnight riches prey on this desire.

The truth is that success is gained step by step. Even people who look like overnight successes almost certainly aren't.

#4: “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

– Benjamin Franklin

I think this is a great rule for bloggers! Never write a post just to have new content on your blog; make sure that what you write is genuinely worth your readers' time.

"Do something worth writing" is a good idea when you're short of material. You don't necessarily need to do anything dramatic – you could simply read a book or take a course and blog about what you learned.

#5: “If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.”

– E. Joseph Cossman

Worries can sometimes get the best of us – but the truth is that the things we're worrying about are often fairly insignificant. If you're struggling to get things into perspective, ask yourself "will this matter in a year?"

I can be a bit of a worrier (just ask my poor husband!) and I know that when I'm anxious about something, the best thing I can do is take some action, even if it's just a tiny step. I always feel better.

#6: “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

– Bill Cosby

This is handy advice for any blogger who wants to build a business. Your target audience can't be "everyone" – you need to narrow it down so you can choose topics and a writing style that appeal to your ideal customers.

It's also good advice more generally. Your posts won't please everyone, your products won't please everyone, and the mere fact you want to make money blogging won't please everyone. This dosen't mean you should change your strategies – some people are just impossible to please!

#7: “In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed.”

– Sid Caeser

One trap that some bloggers fall into is being too focused on their goals. Of course you do need to put in quite a bit of work in order to succeed – but you don't want your goals to crowd out everything else in your life.

Take a weekend off now and then. Enjoy spending time with friends and family. Post less frequently over the holidays. Your blog will still be there when you get back.

Over to you! I'd love to hear your favourite motivational quotes, especially ones that you think are a good fit for bloggers. Share your quote – and what it means to you – in the comments.

Wanna learn how to make more money with your website? Check the Online Profits training program!

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